The macabre fascination with John Wayne Gacy stems from the fact that he was many things to many people. A deeply closeted and extremely manipulative predator who preyed on young boys and men, yet a warped pillar of his community. Gacy ran his own construction company, hiring many local young men who would often disappear (via i News). The killer frequently groomed his victims, creating a false sense of security before striking. He was so skilled at manipulating those around him that he was able to conceal the secrets of his unspeakable deeds hidden for many years.
When Gacy understood the jig was up, he recognized he’d need the help of a lawyer. Sam Amirante, Gacy’s defense lawyer, vividly recalled the chilling episode on December 20, 1979, when a disheveled and inebriated Gacy spent the night in his office nonchalantly reciting the names of the 30-plus victims he had tortured, raped, and killed (per BlogCritics). Gacy was detained the next day for a minor drug infraction, allowing investigators to search his home; nevertheless, what they discovered was revolting. At Gacy’s house, 29 bodies in various degrees of decomposition were discovered in his yard and basement. Four more would be later discovered in the Des Plaines River.
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As the United States struggled to come to terms with such sickening acts, a widely-publicized media circus followed Gacy in the aftermath. Gacy was eventually placed on trial and convicted guilty of 33 murders in total in 1980. After 14 years on death row, Gacy was sentenced to die for his atrocities and executed by lethal injection in 1994 (via Biography).
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
